📰 News & Current Affairs

A video being circulated online shows Casio slapping the Filipino Pogo worker twice while berating him during the PAOCC raid on Central One on Oct. 31. In an interview on dzBB on Tuesday, Casio explained that he lost his cool after the Pogo worker supposedly cursed and flashed a dirty finger at a PAOCC member. He said that he offered the individual two options as penalty: to face charges or be slapped, with the latter opting for the second one. Source: PAOCC official axed after viral video shows him slapping Pogo worker

In a now deleted post, among the 23,389 flood packs distributed so far to different Naga City barangays, only 200 came from Angat Buhay. Meanwhile, the report also reflected that 2,055 came from the local government, 4,000 from the OVP, 17,584 from DSWD, and 800 from Sen. Revilla. Source: Ex-VP Leni slams Naga LGU's "irresponsible" report on donations to typhoon victims - Manila Standard

Dela Rosa said he does not even use that plate, for security reasons. "Wala. Cadillac 'yun. Mahal 'yun. Hindi ko kaya 'yun. Mahal 'yun na sasakyan," he stressed. The lawmaker said the plate can "give drug lords a chance to ambush you". "Bakit ko pa i-announce to the whole world na senador ako, na alam ko naman na senador ako," he added. Dela Rosa said getting protocol plates is optional and he prefers not to have them. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/5/dela-rosa-denies-owning-suv-with-7-plate-that-used-edsa-busway-1413

"The driver violated the law," Escudero said, adding the driver's actions and that of the passenger — who allegedly flashed their middle finger at enforcers — are unacceptable. Escudero said he also expects any member of the Senate involved in the incident to "come forward and instruct the person/s driving the vehicle to responsibly face the consequences of their actions." Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/4/escudero-urges-lto-to-name-owner-of-suv-with-7-plate-in-edsa-busway-incident-1316

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) disowned an anti-POGO police operation at the Century Peak Tower in Ermita, Manila on Oct. 29, saying it was “flawed” because foreign suspects were reportedly released. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna “was informed of the raid as the operations got underway” but the PAOCC said it was not consulted. Source: Flawed, PAOCC says of Manila POGO hub raid | Philippine News Agency

In 2022, he ran for president but lost to Marcos. When campaigning in Marcos Jr.’s own bailiwick, the so-called Solid North, Pacquiao said that “only those who are stupid would vote for a thief.” In his fresh bid for the Senate, Pacquiao vowed to fight corruption, as he defended the Marcos family over corruption issues. “Palagi nating sinisisi ang pamilya Marcos pagdating sa korupsiyon. ‘Di ba natin nakikita na sa panahon ni Marcos Sr., ang bansa natin ay Number 1 sa ekonomiya?” Source: Former top absentee Manny Pacquiao aims for Senate return

MANILA, Philippines — Benhur Abalos officially launched his senatorial bid yesterday by filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and said he is deemed resigned as interior and local government chief. Abalos was accompanied by his father and namesake and now incumbent Mandaluyong mayor, along with two other members of their family when he submitted his COC. While lagging in surveys, Abalos E×ρréššed belief he could still win because of his strack record in public service. Abalos said he would rather ignore critics and bashers and remain focused on pursuing his goals. If elected, Abalos said he would pursue measures aimed at reducing the cost of electricity and those promoting job...

Visit the Puerta Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan to discover the world’s longest underground river, which stretches across 15 miles below the mountains. The river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it is the longest underground river you can navigate. This has earned it the name of one of the Seven Wonders of Nature. It is one of the definitive highlights for nature lovers traveling to the Philippines. You can enter the river where it reaches the sea and be mesmerized by its amazing underground cave system. The most convenient route to Palawan is a flight from Manila or Cebu. You can book cheap flights to Manila for as low as $709 and take a domestic flight to Puerta Princesa in Palawan. Source ...

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 12044, RA 12045, RA 12046, RA 12047, RA 12048, RA 12049, RA 12050, RA 12051, RA 12052, RA 12053, RA 12054 which creates additional court branches in various parts of the country. Source: PBBM signs laws creating new court branches across PH | Philippine News Agency

“Whereas, in order to give the members of the Iglesia ni Cristo the full opportunity to participate in the occasion, 27, July 2025, Sunday, may be declared as a special (non-working) day throughout the country,” the President said in issuing Proclamation 729. Source: Marcos declares INC anniversary as special non-working day in 2025

VICE President Sara Duterte on Tuesday said she has no plans to run for president in 2028 and does not care if the House of Representatives would impeach her. Source: Sara says she has no plans to run for president

“If the Philippines introduces the US intermediate missile system, it will create regional tension and confrontation, triggering an arms race, which is totally not in line with the interests and aspirations of the Filipino people,” Wang said, according to state news agency Xinhua. Source: China’s Wang Yi warns Philippines of ‘arms race’ if it deploys US missiles

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in video released by Iranian state media Source: Iran's supreme leader threatens Israel, US with 'crushing response' over attack

The Miss Universe Organization announced the withdrawal from the Miss Universe Panama Italy Mora competition following an evaluation from the pageant's disciplinary committee. Rumor has it that Mora allegedly fought with another candidate. Another rumor claimed that Mora reportedly went on a date with her boyfriend. But the boyfriend of the beauty queen denied the rumors. Source: Why did Miss Universe Panama 2024 Italy Mora withdraw from the competition?

Former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares, one of the petitioners against the transfer of billions of pesos from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury, corrected reports that the Supreme Court’s order to stop the transfer applied to only P29.9 billion of the state insurer’s so-called excess funds. He said the court’s Oct. 29 temporary restraining order (TRO) specifically pertained to the P59.9 billion that was left of the original amount of P89.9 billion, which the Department of Finance (DOF) had ordered to be transferred to the National Treasury to be used for unprogrammed appropriations this year. “If the Php 30 B has been transferred to the National Treasury, we demand that DOF should...

Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two unidentified Israeli sources. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-preparing-strike-israel-iraqi-territory-within-days-axios-reports-2024-10-31/

Russian President Vladimir Putin is “testing the reaction of the west, of Nato states and the reaction of South Korea,” the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with the South Korean television channel KBS. “And if there is nothing – and I think that the reaction to this is nothing, it has been zero – then the number of North Korean troops on our border will be increased,” he added. Source: Ukraine war briefing: western allies’ response to North Korean deployment is ‘zero’, Zelenskyy says

Meanwhile, the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary on February 25, Tuesday, was declared a special working day. Last year, the commemoration of the event that ended the decades-long rule of Marcos' father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was not included in the list because it fell on a Sunday. Source: LIST: 2025 Philippine holidays released; EDSA People Power, a special working day

Karapatan claimed that the decision only showed the failure of the judiciary system to protect the rights of human rights defenders, adding it’s “hypocrisy” for the government to claim that a “robust justice system” is present in the Philippines.“Many of our human rights workers who were denied the opportunity to testify on the threats they received from Duterte’s state forces have either been killed, arrested and detained, or disappeared, after numerous threats, harassment and red-tagging,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristine Palabay in a statement. Source: https://news.tv5.com.ph/breaking/read/supreme-court-slammed-for-junking-petition-against-dutertes-threats-to-human-rights-workers

The survey, conducted from Sept. 4 to 7, showed that 69 percent of the respondents E×ρréššed their trust in the President, a slight two-point drop from the 71 percent recorded in the second quarter. Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, fell six points from the second quarter's 65 percent, down to 59 percent in the third quarter. Source: PBBM holds majority approval, trust in Q3: OCTA | Philippine News Agency

"The (production) knowledge is indigenous, so there is no disruption in the manufacturing process of missiles," Nasirzadeh said, also implying that a defence system may have been damaged in the attack as he said it was "replaced the day after". Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-says-missile-production-not-disrupted-by-israeli-strikes-2024-10-30/

Ukraine prepared to fight North Korean troops in the Russian region of Kursk on Wednesday, as the entry of a second nuclear power in Russia’s war against Ukraine threatened to escalate and broaden the conflict. Source: Ukraine prepares to fight North Korean troops in Kursk as war escalates

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said on Wednesday that he had sent copies of the transcripts of the Senate and House hearings on President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as additional evidence in the charges of crimes against humanity against the ex-president. Source: Trillanes: ICC given Duterte ‘death squad’ transcript

The Philippines is safer and the people are more secure than ever under President Marcos, Malacañang asserted yesterday, contrary to claims by former president Rodrigo Duterte at a Senate hearing that crime has become rampant in the country. “With due respect to former president Rodrigo Duterte – there is no truth to his statement that crime remains rampant in the country,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement. Source: Palace: Philippines safer under Marcos

Citing its latest data, the PNP said index crimes from July 1, 2022 to July 28, 2024 dropped to 83,059 from 217,830 during the same period in the first two years of Duterte’s term from 2016 to 2018, or a decrease of 61.87 percent. The PNP said cases of murder, homicide, physical injuries and rape decreased by 55.69 percent. Similarly, cases of robbery, theft, car theft and other crimes against property registered a 66.81 percent decline, from 124,799 to 41,420 during the same comparative periods. Crime clearance efficiency increased by 27.13 percent while the crime solution efficiency rate rose by 10.28 percent. Source: PNP: More crimes during Duterte administration

“I would like to underscore that the Russian interaction with DPRK in the military and other areas is in line with international law and is not a violation of it. It’s not aimed against third countries,” Vasily Nebenzya said at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, using the acronym of the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Source: Military interaction with N Korea doesn’t breach int’l law: Russia UN envoy

Makabayan bloc lawmakers on Tuesday urged the Senate to submit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) its records on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s admission of urging policemen to “encourage” suspects to fight back as a pretext to kill them during the previous administration’s brutal war on drugs. Source: Senate urged to send Duterte ‘confession’ to ICC

Ayon kay Duterte, maaasahan ang mga naturang pulis sa anumang ‘ipapatrabaho’ at sa pera o pondong ibibigay sa kanila. Ayon sa dating Pangulo, may nakalaang pondo sa isinagawang kampaniya kontra droga ngunit ito ay tanging operational expenses at hindi bilang reward o pabuya sa mga pulis na makakapatay ng mga drug personalities. Source: https://www.bomboradyo.com/fprrd-kinumpirmang-inatasan-niya-si-garma-na-maghanap-ng-mga-pulis-na-miyembro-ng-inc-para-sa-kampaniya-vs-îllégâl-drugs

“Yes that is optional, but looks like a good idea to me because it will give us the opportunity to ask cross examination questions to test the credibility of the witnesses,” said Pimentel. Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, earlier said that he is mulling the filing of a resolution to kickstart a Senate probe into the bloody war on drugs. Source: MSN

Senate President Francis Escudero on Tuesday urged families of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) to finally sue former President Rodrigo Duterte following his declaration at the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee that he alone was responsible for the brutal drug war. However, Escudero said only drug war victims or their families can file cases. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/29/duterte-statements-at-senate-probe-can-be-used-to-file-cases-escudero-diokno-1442

Asked if this means he has no plans to show up at the DOJ despite the charge, Roque responded: “Puwede pong manumpa sa kahit kaninong piskal o kahit kanino na pwede magbigay ng panunumpa (You can swear before any prosecutor or to anyone you can take an oath).” “It is clear that these charges are fabricated, and what I pray for is that our prosecutors will do their duty,” he said. Source: Roque set to file counter affidavit vs human trafficking case

The Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the further transfer of excess funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury. Source: Supreme Court issues TRO vs further transfer of PhilHealth funds